The senate's vote on Tuesday to debate the immigration plan pushed forward by the "Gang of Eight" is a small step in the right direction. But I'm worried it won't pass, mainly because we can't seem to get past the same misleading rhetoric that consistently accompanies the general conversation on immigration in this country.

As both a former high school teacher with a large number of undocumented students in my classroom and as a proud Mexican-American born in Texas whose mother was born in Mexico City, I'm fearful that this legislation will get lost in a false debate – that it will get packaged as simply a "Latino issue". I'm nervous that Republicans who are considering supporting this legislation are mainly driven by the growing number and consequent voting power of Latinos. This isn't a "Latino issue" or an "immigrant issue" – it's an American one.

When I think of America, I'm overwhelmed with gratefulness. I grew up in a single-parent home in a predominately Latino, low-income neighborhood in Austin, Texas. But I studied hard and got a scholarship for college. And I'll be finishing my law degree next year at Stanford University. It was a lot of hard work – hard work that would have likely gone unrewarded in many other countries.

Part of what makes this country worth fighting for is the notion of the "American Dream" – the idea that you can turn a dream into a reality with immense effort. That dream is directly connected to our love for family. The ideal of it is not a mere self-serving one; it's in fact often a selfless one – a dream that requires one to work incredibly hard to provide a better life for his or her family. It's a story (and for many a reality) that we're intimately familiar with – at least many of my undocumented students were familiar with it.

I wish I could have related more to the undocumented students in my classroom with regard to the American Dream, but it has always been out of reach for them, and that is simply unjust. A number of them, like many undocumented immigrants, came to the US at an extremely young age. Usually, there aren't families and homes waiting for them back in the country they immigrated from. When you live in America for 15 years of your 17-year life, America is your home, whether a piece of paper says it or not. One of my best students was undocumented, but she didn't tell me until the end of the year when I started talking with her in greater detail about her college plans. She, like many undocumented students, was extremely worried about affording college, despite glowing recommendations from her teachers and fantastic grades, since she couldn't qualify for federal aid.

But reasons to support this bill are not limited to ideal notions of the American Dream. Economically, it makes a lot of sense. We don't know what percentage of undocumented immigrants pay taxes, but we know a significant number do. This bill would make it easier for undocumented immigrants to pay taxes by equipping them with a documented status. Although not conclusive, a recent study suggests immigrants are actually subsidizing healthcare. Creating more opportunities for undocumented immigrants to become documented and join in supporting an aging population is clearly an economically wise choice.

I'm far from alone in believing an easier path to a documented status for immigrants would have an overall positive impact on our economy. In a Bloomberg poll, 47% reported that they believe passing the proposed immigration legislation would improve the economy. And 74% reported that they support legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to become documented provided they pay any back taxes owed, don't have a criminal record and wait at least 10 years before becoming fully documented.

This immigration bill isn't a "Latino issue". It's an American one. If you oppose the bill, can you sincerely say that if you lived somewhere with no jobs and no hope for providing for your family or giving your children an education, you would not make a similar choice – to pursue the American Dream – as so many undocumented immigrants have done? This dream belongs to everyone, no matter where you're born.

Everyone has the God-given right to work hard for a better life. As a nation, we should strive to be the best – to be the symbol of hope, freedom and opportunity. I have every faith we can be; I just hope Congress also does.